If you pot the white in snooker, it is a foul. Your opponent receives penalty points, your turn ends, and the cue ball is played from in hand in the D by the incoming player.
The penalty is not taken off your score. It is added to your opponent’s score. Most white-ball in-offs cost at least four points, but the penalty can rise to five, six or seven if a higher-value ball is on or involved.
This guide explains exactly what happens after the cue ball drops, how many points are awarded, where the white is placed next, and what happens if another ball was potted in the same foul stroke.
Updated August 2026. Formal matches should always follow the current WPBSA rulebook and the referee’s decision.
Quick Answer: What Happens If You Pot the White?
Potting the white in snooker is a foul. The opponent gets penalty points, usually at least four, and the incoming player receives the cue ball in hand to play from the D. The striker scores no points from balls potted during that foul stroke.
Potting the White Is an In-Off
In cue-sports language, potting the cue ball is often called going in-off. In snooker, the white is the cue ball, so it is never an object ball you are trying to score.
If the white drops into a pocket, leaves the table, or is otherwise forced off the table, the shot is a foul. Your visit ends and the opponent is awarded penalty points.
The key point for beginners is that the white does not simply come back for you to continue. Control of the table passes to your opponent.
How Many Points Does Your Opponent Get?
The opponent receives at least four points. The foul can be higher if the ball on or a ball involved in the foul is worth more than four.
If red is on and you pot only the white, the penalty is normally four. If blue is on and you pot the white, the penalty is normally five. If black is on or involved, it can be seven.
The easiest formula is: four points, or the highest relevant ball value if higher.
Do You Lose Points?
No. Snooker does not usually subtract foul points from the offender’s score. The opponent gains the penalty points.
This matters because the scoreboard change is still the same size, but it is recorded as points to the non-offender. If you were leading 30-20 and made a four-point foul, the score becomes 30-24, not 26-20.
That simple distinction prevents a lot of club-table scoring mistakes.
Where Does the White Go Next?
After the cue ball is potted or leaves the table, the incoming player has cue ball in hand. In snooker, that means the cue ball is placed in the D for the next shot.
The player can place the white anywhere on or within the D, then play at the ball on. They do not have to play from the exact pocket where the white dropped.
If there is a referee, they manage the replacement and restart. In casual play, score the foul first, then let the incoming player place the cue ball.
What If You Pot the White and a Red?
If the white goes in during the shot, the striker scores no points from that foul stroke. So even if a red also drops, the red does not count as a point for the striker.
What happens to the potted object ball depends on the exact rule situation. In ordinary club play, potted reds from a foul often stay down, while colours may be re-spotted when required. In a formal foul-and-miss replacement, the referee may replace moved balls.
The safe practical answer is: do not move anything until the foul has been called and both players agree what should be replaced.
What If You Pot the White and a Colour?
The same principle applies: the striker scores nothing from the foul shot. If the colour was potted as part of a foul, it may be re-spotted depending on the stage of the frame and the rule situation.
For example, if you are playing a colour after a red and the white follows it into the pocket, your opponent receives foul points. You do not score the colour. The colour handling depends on the formal rules for that shot.
In casual frames, this is where disputes happen. Pause, identify the foul value, then decide whether the colour is replaced before the next shot.
Practical rule: after potting the white, score the foul first. Then deal with cue-ball placement and any object-ball replacement.
Can the Opponent Ask You to Play Again?
After many snooker fouls, the non-offender may have choices, including playing from the position left or asking the offender to play again. When the cue ball has been potted, the cue ball is in hand for the incoming player from the D.
Foul-and-miss situations can add another layer, especially in refereed matches where balls may be replaced. That is why official play relies on the referee’s call.
For normal beginner play, remember the base consequence: foul points to the opponent, then cue ball from the D.
Common Examples
Red is on and white goes in: your opponent gets four points and plays from the D.
Blue is on and white goes in: your opponent gets five points because blue is worth more than the four-point minimum.
Black is involved and white goes in: the penalty can be seven, the normal maximum foul value.
You pot a red and the white follows in: it is a foul stroke. You do not add the red point to your break.
Why Potting the White Is So Costly
The penalty points hurt, but the positional cost can be worse. You hand your opponent ball in hand from the D, which may give them a clean starter or an easy safety.
That is why cue-ball control is a core snooker skill. A pot that sends the white into a pocket can turn a good chance into an immediate scoring opportunity for the opponent.
When planning a shot, look beyond the object ball. Ask where the cue ball will travel after contact, especially around corner pockets and middle pockets.
How to Avoid In-Offs
- Check the natural cue-ball path before playing the pot.
- Use stun, screw or follow only when you understand the angle.
- Avoid forcing pots that send the cue ball straight toward a pocket.
- Practise half-ball and three-quarter-ball contacts to learn deflection.
- Choose a safer colour if the high-value colour carries in-off risk.
- Slow down on shots near middle pockets, where the white can disappear quickly.
Equipment Note
Clean contact and reliable cueing help reduce accidental in-offs. Browse snooker cues, snooker balls, cue chalk and wider cue sports equipment.
Useful Next Reads
Read how snooker fouls are scored, what ball on means, what happens after potting a red, foul and miss explained and basic snooker rules.
Sources Worth Checking
For formal rule wording, use the WPBSA rules page, World Snooker Federation rules guidance, EBSA rule clarifications and BCA snooker rules guidance.
Bottom Line
If you pot the white in snooker, it is a foul. Your opponent gets penalty points, you score nothing from the shot, and the next shot is played with cue ball in hand from the D.
Use the simple rule: white in means foul points out, then the opponent controls the restart.
What to do after potting the white
If you pot the white, the useful lesson is usually cue-ball control rather than punishment. Look at why it happened. Was the pot too thin, was the pace too heavy, or did side spin widen the cue-ball path? On the next similar shot, reduce one variable. Hit the object ball fuller, soften the pace, or remove unnecessary side. In match play, also reset mentally before the opponent comes to the table. A careless white can cost points, but the bigger damage is often the rushed shot that follows.
FAQs
Is potting the white always a foul in snooker?
Yes. The cue ball is never a scoring ball, so potting it is a foul.
How many points is potting the white?
At least four points to the opponent, or more if a higher-value ball is on or involved.
Where does the white go after it is potted?
The incoming player places the cue ball in hand in the D.
Do I lose points if I pot the white?
No. The opponent gains penalty points; your score is not normally reduced.
Do I score a red if the white also goes in?
No. The striker scores no points from a foul stroke.
Can potting the white be seven points?
Yes, if the black is the ball on or is the highest-value ball involved in the foul.
